last night's meal 5.... ain't she fine? i took a roasted baked potato, topped it with crumbled 99% lean ground turkey (seasoned with Mrs. Dash no-salt fiesta lime seasoning, fresh parsley, garlic, and liquid aminos) chopped green onion, fresh tomatoes, and a dollop of 0% greek yogurt. finished it off with a sprinkle of more Mrs. Dash and dried parsley.

flavor EXPLOSION in ya mouth!

i cooked the potato like i always do- 450 deg for 45 minutes or until oozy. if you poke holes in it beforehand it won't ooze, but there's no fun in that.

after 42 pics from every angle possible, i gobbled it UP. yall know i love the versatility of sweet potatoes- try them with your family and see what they think! you can customize your toppings for sure, just like you would on a normal russet potato. don't let the sweetness throw you off- it will work out, i promise.

so i'm gonna post LEG exercises all this week, and i'll start with these two:

1. side lunge w/ squat

1. start position stand with feet shoulder width or closer apart

2.(lunge) keeping your left leg straight, step out to the side with your right leg, and bend at your right knee.

push-off the right leg through your heel to return to the start position.

repeat; 3 x 12, each leg.

above is just a collage of what the lowest point of your lunge/squat should look like^

knees behind your toes

straight opposite leg

back flat

chest up

head up

weight planted firmly into your heels

lift your toes in your shoes

push back up to starting position through your heel, not your toes

Q: can't you do these with a dumbbell? A: this particular exercise, DEFINITELY. however, the two main differences (ok really the only two in my book) btw kettle bells and dumbbells are the grip/handle and the center of gravity of the weight.

'once the bell is thrown with force, it must be controlled and stopped with an equal amount of force. you are now working twice as hard to move and stop the bell. these actions and reactions require tremendous efforts to stabilize the body. most of these efforts start with your legs and hips and are controlled with your shoulders and trunk or core.'

kinda hard to do that with a dumbbell... and some will argue that you just can't get a GREAT, EFFECTIVE full body workout with a dumbbell alone vs. a kettle bell.

well, what do you think?

2. knee to elbow standing crunches

these are fun and all about obliques! they also contribute to balance and core stability. the kettle bell handle is very useful on this one.

2. drive your right knee up, and simultaneously bring your right elbow down to meet it, crunching your right oblique in the process. same rules apply:

chest up

back straight

core engaged

you can speed it up or take it slower, depending on the weight of your bell. really engage the obliques though by keeping your movements controlled and with a full range of motion. keep it even and hit both sides of course til it burns!

*****

being an instructor has its perks- this outfit is a testament to that! an Athleta (by Gap ) store opened up close to my gym, and they kindly gave the instructors tops and bottoms to model and show off to our members.

sweet deal.

*warning* i took these pics after working out and put this fit to the ultimate test! excuse the sweat stains! among other things ;)

i told ya i don't discriminate- i found the biggest beets i've ever seen at wally world (Walmart) and threw them in my basket without hesitation. @ 1.98 for 3 huge bulbs, they are as big as grapefruits!

however i was looking for eggplant, which i did NOT find and had to go elsewhere to get it.

i found some for a great price at Fiesta! i also copped some papaya since it was on sale. lunch was a plate of grilled chicken breasts seasoned with Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning, grilled egg-plant, roasted sweet potatoes, and papaya salsa!

fresh & fit papaya-lime salsa

1/2 diced red bell pepper

1/2 yellow bell pepper

1 cup diced papaya

2 tbsp cilantro

2 tbsp green onion, chopped

juice of half a fresh lime

slice and dice that all up, squeeze the lime over it, refrigerate, top on whatever you like, devour.

WHEW! it's a lot goin' on in this post lol! until breakfast, goodnite fit foodies.

Fit Foodie Le

fit foodie le is committed to living a healthy lifestyle and showing you how to do the same. see just how great your body is designed to feel through physical activity and eating well. we are obsessed with dairy-free recipes and taking care of yourself, inside and out.